Free Range in Snowy Weather: What do you do?

[mobius]

It is snowing here, and I have about a foot of snow on the ground, and chickens and I are new to how to be chickens in winter.

I am not shoveling much, so what I have done is scatter straw to make little pathways. They are following the paths and foraging in the wheat straw. They have creatively made a dustbath in a non-snow-covered garden bed behind their coop and run, and the chickens always want out and spend a lot of their day there these days.

I also have a mountain ash tree with berries on it still, and I pull some down for them every day or two so they get some semblance of foraging.

I scatter a little cut up fruit on the straw also or other goodies. They are starting to walk on the snow a lot more and are venturing out now...

What do you all do to keep your chickens out and about? So they aren't so penned up? It has already been a long winter (IMO) but we are getting through it!

 

[Susanhen]

My flock for most of the winter was just two bantam hens. I live in the woods so there is lots of cover in the underbrush for them during the summer. I had a standard Red Sexlink hen with them until the neighbor's dog got out and got my poor Stella in late July. After that the little girls wouldn't spend any time on open ground, and since the leaves fell off of the trees they rarely leave their run without me present as they no longer have good cover or a larger guardian. Every so often I'll find one of the girls hanging out in my dirt floor carport, but for the most part my little ladies just chill in the warm henhouse.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Same as you, I put down hay for forage and to walk on. Thankfully I have a large shed so there's plenty of room even if they don't go out. Mine also get scratch twice a day to keep them busy.

 

[centrarchid]

Consider playing a couple Hay bales so they Block N Wind From Hay already scattered on ground.

 

[tinakevin]

I have a covered run and a large fenced area they can go forage in. My dh snow blows the area so the can go out in it

 

[whisperingwind]

These are all some amazing ideas, I will definitely be better prepared for next winter.

 

[lazy gardener]

My flock has a sun room in one part of their run. covered over and protected on 3 sides with a green house tarp. Lots of leaves for them to shuffle through. I toss a qt. of wheat sprouts in the leaves every morning.

 

[centrarchid]

Heavy arrow indicates wind direction. Scatter whole grain among loose hay / straw.

 

[mobius]

Heavy arrow indicates wind direction. Scatter whole grain among loose hay / straw.

absolutely lovely! Thanks so much! My little yard becoming a true operation!

 

[Beekissed]

For years now I've situated the dog's living/sleeping area and where they get water in the winter months around the coop, so when they trample down the snow in these places it makes great paths for the chickens. The dogs also break trail down to the shed and also to the corner of the garden, then over to the woods where they do their elimination needs. I've had three feet of snow on the ground before and never had to shovel a single pathway for the chickens or myself due to the dog's work on that chore.

There's a large lounging area under the shed porch and there are downed trees over in the edge of the woods where the chickens can find spots to stand out of the snow and two porch areas on either end of the coop for dusting and standing in the sunlight and such as well. Mine don't mind going out in a couple inches of snow and they will be out all day in that, even foraging through the leaves in that....any deeper than 6 in. or so and they will still go out but won't stay out as long.